


Love Happens

by PencilTrash



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Meetings, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 04:35:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10632315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PencilTrash/pseuds/PencilTrash
Summary: When your soulmate’s first words to you were supposed to be tattooed on your wrist, a blank wrist was quite intriguing and an open invitation to be teased.Otabek’s wrist was missing a soulband.Every single person in his acquaintance had a soulband, God, even JJ had a soulband.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Retelling my Sterek AU for Yuri on Ice universe.

“Your soulmate is dead, Otabek.”

The boy barked right in his face and Otabek watched him with furious eyes, clenching his fingers into a fist, shaking.

He didn’t exactly understand the meaning of the word -  _ dead _ , he was only four, but when it was getting thrown at you in the middle of a fight, like some stone, then it definitely wasn’t going to be something good.

Before Otabek could get his senses back and act on his instincts, he was dragged away from the bullying boy by his class teacher. As teacher Lilia soothed him with calm words and then warned him in a firm tone, Otabek could only stare at the tan skin of his wrist, unconsciously rubbing a thumb against his pathetically  _ blank _ wrist.

When your soulmate’s first words to you were supposed to be tattooed on your wrist, a blank wrist was quite intriguing and an open invitation to be teased.

Otabek’s wrist was missing a soulband.

Every single person in his acquaintance had a soulband, God, even JJ had a soulband, then why not him? Otabek wondered.

Otabek’s mom tried to convince him by suggesting a few possibilities. One of them sounded quite convincing - maybe, his soulmate was yet to be born.

When Otabek didn't budge, his mother tried diverting his mind with some poetic stories about how our loved ones would turn into stars after life, always shining in the sky, always readily available when you missed them the most.

It was a lie. He understood two years later when his grandma passed away and he couldn’t find solace in the midst of the gloomy, dark sky. He’d cried his eyes out for three days straight. He missed his grandma. He missed his  _ non existent  _ soulmate even more.

When he turned fourteen and still didn't have the soulband, the ‘ _ soulmate was yet to be born’ _ option was almost completely ruled out. He was sure he wasn't going to meet his soulmate. Ever.

As the years passed he witnessed Mila chewing his ear off, screaming about meeting her soulmate in summer camp. He watched with amused eyes while his baby sister recognized her soulmate when his friend Phichit addressed her - “Hello Tia” instead of  _ Mia _ .

The elders of the family always shared funny, mesmerizing stories about meeting their other halves. Of course, Otabek liked listening to those, even when he’d heard them before. He was happy for every single person around him, but sometimes he felt lonely...and hollow, as if he was missing his soul and not just some stupid mark of his wrist.

He met Yuuri Katsuki when he turned eighteen.

Yuuri was the sweetest person he’d ever come across. He had the heart of a cupcake and the charm of a fox. And most importantly, his wrist was blank.

They both immediately clicked over their  _ non-soulband _ bond. It was Yuuri who showed him the other side of life, the not so pathetic side.

“Everyone can’t have a dreamy romance, Otabek,” he had said. “But that doesn’t mean you have to stop dreaming.”

Over a year Otabek watched him silently blush at the slightest mention of Viktor’s name, who apparently shared a soul bond with Christophe.

Otabek’s heart twisted in his chest for his best friend. But the smile on Yuuri’s face never faded. He was perfectly okay having Viktor as just-a-friend. He was glad having him in his life in  _ some  _ way, Otabek knew that.

Then one day he heard the news about Christophe moving to Switzerland, leaving permanently, never to return.

Otabek couldn’t make up his mind whether to feel happy for Yuuri or to feel bad for Viktor.

Otabek watched Viktor sulking over his soulmate’s absence for years and for the first time, Otabek felt lucky for having a blank wrist. He’d rather that than looking at a soulband everyday, every single minute and breaking piece by piece over what he could never have. It was Yuuri who helped the silver haired man to heal his shattered heart.

Otabek was the happiest person when, finally, Viktor asked him on a date, even happier than Yuuri was. Otabek felt as if something might have mended in his own heart.

******

“Please don’t tell me you forgot the passes.” Yuuri warily looked at him, raising his hand to fix the spikes of Otabek’s hair.

“I uh...” Otabek searched his suit pockets, one more time. God, it was summer and he was already feeling frustrated about having to wear these thick clothes. He hadn't even gotten a chance to look at the passes before leaving for the Central auditorium for the charity show.

Viktor and his some cousin were active volunteers of the charity and Viktor had invited Yuuri and his best friend to attend the show.

Otabek loathed the day he’d agreed to this the moment Yuuri asked him to dress up in smart clothes. It looked like it was a big deal for Viktor, so obviously it was for Yuuri. Otabek hadn’t even paid attention to him when he’d excitedly spoken about the event and how Viktor’s cousin -  _ Yuri with a single u - _ was performing in the show.

“Got it,” Otabek shouted in relief, handing over the closed envelope into Yuuri’s safe hands.

They entered the dining hall where the organizers had arranged pre-show snacks.

Otabek was literally sweating in the heavily crowded area. He loosened his tie and pretended to enjoy the food on his plate.

_ For Yuuri. For Yuuri. For Yuuri _ , he mentally recited.

He scowled at everyone who came within two feet of him, before his eyes caught the sight of a boy, hungrily stuffing an entire pirozhok in his mouth. Otabek swallowed, feeling sorry for his poor throat.

After that, Otabek couldn’t take his eyes off the green eyed boy. He was wearing tightly fitting black and white clothes that had leopard print around his shirt sleeves, possibly  _ a mime artist then _ , who even wore half-finished make up, probably in his rush to get to the food. Otabek couldn’t help but notice the way his cosmetic blushes turned even deeper pink, sinking in the irritating heat. So far, he’d completely spoiled his dark red lipstick, eating it along with his food, licking his lips. Otabek literally had to snatch his gaze away from those smudged, perfect lips.

_ For Yuuri. For Yuuri. For Yuuri… _ What was he doing?

He got up from his seat to dump his already empty plate in a bin. He tried to indulge himself by fetching an icy coke can. At that moment, he wouldn’t have minded taking a snow bath.

The moment he turned around from the counter in his haste to find some cool space, he collided with an extra-large glass of chocolate milkshake, sticky, wet and  _ Ah _ ...cold. At least something was in his favor.

He grudgingly looked down at his ruined suit as the milkshake seeped through the silky material of his shirt,  _ Perfect.  _ He jerked his head up to face the owner of the drink.

It was the mime artist,  _ of course _ , who gaped at Otabek's damaged clothes. He was looking him up and down, his hands flailing everywhere, his eyes wide.

“Aren’t you even going to say  _ sorry _ ?” Otabek groaned.

The boy blinked, looking completely taken aback for a moment. Then suddenly, he creased his eyebrows as if he’d tasted something sour. He twisted his palms in weird directions, dancing his slender fingers right in front of Otabek’s face, making him take a step back.

“Yuri!”

Suddenly Yuuri was there, moving into the space between them. “Hey, hey, what happened? Why are you calling Otabek an asshole?”

“What? Me? Ass-” Otabek’s mood was ruined, just like his suit. He stepped closer, trying to push past Yuuri. “He didn’t even apologize,” Otabek complained like a five year old.

“Otabek!” Yuuri gasped. He gripped his elbow, tugging him a few steps away.

“What?” Otabek couldn’t understand why Yuuri was giving him the disappointed-mom looks and not saying anything to the real culprit, who just stood there, clenching his jaw, shooting angry glances at Otabek.

“He can’t speak, you dafoos.”

Yuuri’s words felt like a tight slap. “We’re at a charity show organized by the Deaf and Mute school. I told you Yuri was performing. Did you even listen to me?”

_ Fuck! _

Otabek really, thoroughly felt like an asshole now.

It took him a few moments to gather the courage to glance at Yuri. He was still glaring at him.

“I uh- I’m sorry,” Otabek replied to Yuuri, but held other Yuri's gaze.

Yuri’s eyes fluttered into something soft. He nodded, immediately accepting Otabek’s apology.

Yuuri moved towards Yuri then. Otabek lingered behind his back, hesitantly watching them share a conversation using sign language. Yuuri was using his words, so Otabek realized that Yuri was able to hear at least.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god,” Yuuri started squealing like a dying whale. “Otabek!” he turned, clutching his arms, almost jumping on the spot.

“Yuuri?” Otabek was scared.

“Yuri's saying...he’s saying,” he struggled to catch his breath. “He’s your soulmate, Otabek.”

Otabek felt as if lightning had struck his brain. 

He wasn't supposed to have a soulmate.  _ Hell _ , he thought his soulmate was dead, without saying his first words to him. And then everything started making sense.

When he looked at Yuri again, the boy was scratching the back of his neck, gazing at Otabek with warm, shy eyes. Otabek’s eyes followed his action, tracking the distinct, dark words etched on the boy’s pale wrist -

**_Aren’t you even going to say sorry?_ **

And for the second time now, Otabek felt lucky for having a blank wrist.

_ “You're an asshole” _ wasn't quite the soulband that Otabek wanted to carry on his wrist all his life.

******

It took Otabek a few minutes to learn the sign language for -  _ I Love You. _

It took him three months to gather the courage to show it off to Yuri.

**Author's Note:**

> * Comments/Kudos are gold!! They keeps motivating me to write more  
> * I am on tumblr - [PencilTrash](http://PencilTrash.tumblr.com), where you can get fic updates.


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